Members say they cannot join or pay

A checklist for the usual causes – no payment method, no open session or live ticket, deadline passed, capacity, private link, cancelled or inactive event.

2 min read · Updated 2026-09-16

Work through the list; each item takes a few seconds to check in the event's Setting tab.

Nobody can see the event#

Private event – it is not on the Explore page; people need the Invitation Link (Information tab). Send it, or switch Event Visibility to Public.
Inactive event (no green check in the Events list) – your premium subscription may have expired. See Plans and limits.
Deleted event – the link shows nothing. Deleted events cannot be restored.

The Join button is missing or disabled#

Cause	What to check
Sign-up deadline passed	Setting → Ticket card → Set sign-up deadline. Move it or untick it.
Event has ended	Past events cannot be joined. Set a new date or duplicate.
Event is full	Member tab header Capacity: 20 / 20. Raise the capacity in Setting or approve fewer people.
Event cancelled	Banner "This event has been canceled." Create a new event.
Multi-session event without sessions or tickets	Banner "This event has no sessions or ticket types yet." Add at least one Open session and one Live ticket type.
All sessions Hidden / all tickets Hidden	Set at least one session to Open and one ticket to Live.
Bundle includes a hidden session	"Members cannot join with a bundle that includes hidden session(s)." Set the session to Open or change the bundle.

They joined but cannot pay#

"No payment method set up" – a paid event with neither Stripe (Complete) nor Offline Payment enabled. Turn on Offline Payment with instructions, or finish Stripe onboarding.
Stripe status Incomplete – card payments will not load. See Stripe setup problems.
Offline instructions empty – members see a default message and do not know where to transfer. Setting → Payment → Edit Instructions.
Promo code rejected – the code is inactive, misspelt, created on a different ticket type, or would leave a charge under HKD 10. See Promo codes.
They are still Pending – for events with approval, the payment step may only appear after approval. Approve them, or send the Payment Page Link.

They paid but still show Pending#

Offline: their payment status should be Submitted – open the member card → Offline Payment Record, verify, set Paid, then set Approval to Approved.
Stripe: check Stripe Payment Transactions on the member card. Failed means the card was declined – ask them to retry. A successful Stripe payment sets Paid automatically; if not, reload the page.

They cannot log in to theground.io#

The public site uses the same accounts as the admin. Google accounts must use Continue with Google; e-mail accounts can reset their password from the login page. See Login problems.

Still stuck?#

Send info@theground.io the event link, the member's e-mail and a screenshot of what they see.

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